Vice President and Director of Athletics

Saint Joseph’s University

Vice President and Director of Athletics Position Description

About Saint Joseph’s University

Founded in 1851, Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) is a nationally ranked Jesuit, Catholic institution dedicated to academic excellence, service, and the holistic development of students. With approximately 8,500 undergraduate and graduate students and a global alumni network of more than 100,000, SJU is a comprehensive University that prepares graduates for lives of meaning and impact in a complex, fast-changing world.

Saint Joseph’s sponsors 21 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s varsity programs, competing primarily in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10), with men’s lacrosse competing in the Northeast Conference (NEC). Athletics also offers expansive campus recreation facilities and programs, including 24 club sports, intramurals, and group fitness. Athletics is a visible and integral component of the University’s identity, spirit, and engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the Greater Philadelphia region.

Position Summary

The Vice President and Director of Athletics will provide visionary, strategic, operational and financial leadership for Saint Joseph’s University’s 21 intercollegiate athletics programs, a robust club sports and campus recreation program, and the University’s intercollegiate athletic and recreational facilities. The Vice President and Director of Athletics oversees a division of approximately 90 full-time staff and manages an annual operating budget of approximately $25 million. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President and Director of Athletics is responsible for advancing academic excellence and success, financial sustainability, institutional integrity, and demonstrating a positive culture in alignment with the University’s Catholic, Jesuit mission. This position requires frequent travel, weekend, and evening commitments.

The Vice President and Director of Athletics will lead the department through a period of significant transformation in collegiate athletics, including NIL, NCAA governance, transfer portal activity, conference dynamics, evolving compliance requirements, and increased expectations for revenue generation, donor engagement, and brand visibility while maintaining an unwavering commitment to institutional priorities, and student-athlete development and academic achievement.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Provide inspiring, values-based leadership for all aspects of SJU Athletics, articulating and executing a clear strategic vision aligned with University priorities. Develop and sustain a positive culture that is forward thinking.

• Expertly analyze national and regional trends affecting NCAA intercollegiate athletics, including NIL, transfer portal policies, conference realignment, litigation, and legislative developments, and proactively position SJU to respond effectively. Be prepared to lead discussions for both internal and external audiences on the implications of key changes in the NCAA environment.

• Position Saint Joseph’s Athletics as a model of mission-aligned Division I competition within the A10 (and the NEC, for Men’s Lacrosse).

• Oversee campus recreation in a manner that promotes well-being, student engagement, and holistic student development.

• As the senior executive in athletics, establish annual departmental goals that align with and advance the University’s Strategic Plan and related objectives.

• As a member of the Cabinet, exhibit a University mindset, proactively collaborating with key partners on Cabinet, i.e., academic affairs, enrollment management, financial aid, student life, marketing and communication, mission and ministry, alumni and community relations.

Student-Athlete Experience

• Foster a positive culture for all student athletes and teams.

• Ensure a student-athlete experience and culture that prioritizes academic progress, graduation success, health and well-being, leadership development, and service.

• Collaborate with academic leadership and student support services to ensure student-athletes persist, graduate, and achieve academic outcomes comparable to or exceeding the general student population.

• Sustain and advance competitive men’s and women’s basketball programs within the A10 Conference as flagship drivers of institutional visibility. Develop and implement flexible, data-informed competitive advancement strategies.

• Support broad-based competitiveness across all sports.

Financial Management & Resource Development

• Provide executive oversight of all departmental budgets, including operating, personnel, scholarship, and capital expenditures, ensuring fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability.

• Identify opportunities and strategies for diversified revenue growth.

• Prepare and manage annual budgets and multi-year financial projections and long-term financial planning aligned with institutional goals, NIL strategies, revenue-share forecasting and risk mitigation.

• Serve as the chief architect of a future-focused sustainable athletics financial model in the era of modern collegiate athletics at a Division I mid-major program and member of the A10 (and NEC, for Men’s Lacrosse).

Fundraising, Advancement & External Relations

• Serve as a visible and compelling ambassador for SJU Athletics with alumni, donors, corporate partners, media, and the Greater Philadelphia community.

• Oversee SJU Athletics’ media presence, including traditional and digital media.

• Partner closely with University Advancement to design and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy supporting scholarships, facilities, program priorities, NIL for basketball programs, and endowment growth.

• Actively engage in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, including major (50K+) and principal (1M+) gift activity with annual goals set and achieved.

• Enhance athletics’ role in strengthening alumni engagement, institutional pride, and University brand recognition.

Personnel Leadership & Culture

• Build and sustain a high-performance leadership team with clear accountability metrics, transparent communication, and measurable outcomes.

• Recruit, hire, evaluate, and develop high-performing coaches, administrators, and staff who reflect SJU’s values and commitment to excellence.

• Promote a culture of inclusion, integrity, accountability, and collaboration throughout the Athletics Department.

• Support professional development and succession planning across all levels of the department.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with all NCAA and University policies, as well as all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including Title IX.

• Maintain oversight of department-wide compliance systems to ensure ethical conduct and institutional integrity.

• Represent SJU effectively in conference governance, NCAA matters, and external athletics organizations.

Facilities & Operations

• Provide strategic oversight of intercollegiate athletic and recreational facilities, capital planning, and long-term infrastructure needs.

• Collaborate with University leadership on facility maintenance, enhancement, and future capital initiatives.

• Ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality operations across all athletic programs and events.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in Division I intercollegiate athletics or a closely related environment.

• Demonstrated success in executive-level athletics leadership, including strategic planning, staff management, budgeting, and compliance oversight.

• Proven track record in fundraising, donor engagement, and external relations.

• Strong understanding of the current collegiate athletics environment, including NIL, transfer portal dynamics, conference governance, NCAA and regulatory challenges.

• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and leadership skills, with the ability to inspire diverse internal and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to lead through crisis, reputational challenges, and complex public issues with transparency, integrity, and institutional alignment.

• Demonstrated commitment to academic excellence, student-athlete success, and mission-driven leadership within a Catholic, Jesuit institution.